We report the enrichment of and immune responses mediated by genes expressed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis inside macrophages as a function of time. Results indicate that M. tuberculosis expresses different genes at different times postinfection. Genes expressed early (day 1) following infection enhance M. tuberculosis-mediated activation of dendritic cells (DCs), whereas genes expressed later (day 5) in the infection prevent DC activation. However, all genes downmodulated MHC class I and II expression on infected macrophages, thus compromising their ability to interact with Ag-specific T cells. Day-1 and -5 genes downmodulated proinflammatory cytokine production from DCs, thus impairing signal 3 during DC-T cell cognate interactions. Consequently, T cells activated by Ag-experienced DCs secreted low levels of IFN-gamma and IL-17 but maintained high IL-10 secretion, thus inducing suppressor responses. Further characterization revealed that day-1 and -5 genes increased TLR2-induced expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 from DCs and downmodulated IL-12 expression. In addition, day-1 and -5 genes prevented the generation of reactive oxygen species in DCs. In contrast, although day-5 genes increased TLR2-mediated suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 expression in macrophages, day-1 genes downmodulated the expression of inducible NO synthase 2. Similar downregulation of immune responses was observed upon exogenous stimulation with day-1 or -5 Ags. Finally, day-1 and -5 genes promoted enhanced survival of M. tuberculosis inside DCs and macrophages. These results indicate that M. tuberculosis genes, expressed inside infected macrophages as a function of time, collectively suppress protective immune responses by using multiple and complementary mechanisms.